Alcohol - On The Job

Today's organizations can face a variety of misconceptions and stigmas surrounding alcohol abuse in the workplace. At GetFit.SAMHSA.GOV, we provide you with facts and information that can help you clear up this confusion and create a healthier work environment.

Drinking among U.S. workers can threaten public safety; impair job performance; and result in costly medical, social, and other problems affecting employees and employers alike. Productivity losses attributed to alcohol were estimated at $119 billion for 1995. Employers are in a unique position to mitigate some of these factors and to motivate employees to seek help for alcohol problems.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

At home, in the office, on the railroad, on an airplane, or even underground—wherever you may work— all of us should be aware of steps that we can take to address alcohol abuse problems and create a healthier work environment.

1 out of every 10 people in the United States has a drinking problem, and 68 percent are full-time workers.
1 in 5 workers have covered for a fellow employee's drinking at one time during their career.
Alcoholism causes an estimated 500 million lost workdays annually.
The majority of adults are employed, making the workplace an ideal setting to reach a large population for implementing alcohol and other drug abuse prevention strategies.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Visit SAMHSA's Workplace Resource Center [http://workplace.samhsa.gov] for centralized access to information about drug-free workplaces and related topics.

Visit the NIOSH Workplace Solution's [http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pubs/workplace_date_desc_nopubnumbers.html] homepage which offers easy-to-understand, easy-to-access, and easy-to-use recommendations that turn the results of NIOSH research into occupational safety and health practices.

Check out OSHA's latest e-tools [http://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/oshasoft/index.html] in English and Spanish "stand-alone", interactive, Web-based training tools on occupational safety and health topics.